No one understood contemporary, everyone was in a Raj or ethnic hangover

Before the term India modern was coined, Raseel Gujral Ansal was already creating designs that fit the bill. She started as an interior-architect for her father’s firm back in 86; in 93 she founded Casa Paradox with her now-husband Naveen Ansal to create furniture pieces for her projects.

No one understood contemporary, everyone was in a Raj or ethnic hangover. So in 95 we opened our first retail showroom, says Raseel. And people made a bee-line for her pieces. Not surprisingly, Raseel never strayed too far from art. She launched a collection called Illustrati that placed art on furniture; then there was the graphic-driven art by the metre. During this process, she developed a large repository of graphics. So, Casa

What’s next? Our next collection is the Amazonia, inspired by the forest, flora and fauna. A large part of collection is limited edition, where only 12 pieces have been designed. The range uses everything from metal and semi-precious stones to marble, where each piece employs multiple traditional techniques. This will be seen on wallpapers, fabrics, crockery, furniture and fashion.

PRICE Rs 6,000 onwards ( for a cushion) to lakhs (custom made designs)

By Ridhi Kale

Pop was born four years ago. At the moment she is in a black and white state of mind, with her Monochrome collection at the forefront. I started working on Monochrome last summer. We have used Indian techniques and materials such as inlay with stone and brass, but the overall feel is very contemporary, she says.

What’s your design style? I am not single faceted. I am influenced by the West, by the East and by where I was born. I am contemporary, traditional and fun, and through it all I am art-driven. I use traditional Indian techniques and materials and reinterpret them for a global home. It was never intentional, but it just so happens that these elements are what India modern is all about.

The world has been waiting for what India has to offer

There’s a fine line that separates the old from the new, the traditional from the contemporary and the high-tech from the antiquated; and it’s a line that interior and product designer Gunjan Gupta has been proudly blurring since she started her practice Wrap in 2006. From displaying at Salone del Mobile, Milan to having her pieces acquired by Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris and M+ Museum, Hong KongGupta is known globally for creating iconic objects. Her designs take what is quintessentially Indian and give it a modern spin. Her latest, a new brand called Ikkis.21, which she launched at Maison et Objet is Paris earlier this year, is no different. It is a series of 21 innovative objects.

The response was incredible. It just felt like the world has been waiting for what India has to offer. So, the cutting-chai glass turns into an elegant brass stem champagne holder, a brass balti (bucket) into a chic wine chiller and a diya (earthen lamp) into a copper candle holder. Then there’s the matka (an earthen vessel to hold water) that serves as inspiration behind the Matka Tiffin, where terracotta-coated copper bowls separate into three pieces. Sitting in her home-office in Ghitorni, Delhi, surrounded by sketches and prototypes, Gupta, who is a masters in design from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, shares a few insights.

INDIA INSPIRED: A few of the pieces from Ikkis.21’s debut line that modernises traditional designs

What is India modern?Designs that are to do with indigenous stories and materials, reinterpreted and reimagined for contemporary living. This has always been in the background as the inspiration of my work. I just feel that India as a culture has really not been explored from a modern standpoint.

Do you have a favourite product from the new line?We have a terracotta and copper range and I love the idea of combining the two materials. (The terracotta coating is a unique technique with a pending patent.) In this collection my favourite piece is the khullar transformed into a water goblet. Another favourite is the chakla belan that can be used as a trivet, or a cheese board.

PRICE Rs 1,850 to Rs 21,550By Ridhi Kale

I love reinventing our tradition by giving it a modern and luxurious vocabulary"

Keen to develop a more indigenous language of cool instead of merely emulating existing concepts of design, Divya Thakur launched Design Temple two decades ago with global India as a pivotal inspiration for her graphic design studio. Soon, she started creating products and home décor accessories that were witty and cool while drawing from Indian culture and concepts. The stories caught on because no one had explored India in a way that was both subtle and fun.

Her tableware, vases and furniture won appreciation at international platforms in London, New York, Milan and Stockholm for their innovative twist to Indian cultural references. The Parrot diaries, Cheerharan Toilet Paper, Mantra Matchboxes and the quirky Black Tongue Cleaner were spotted by the team at Victoria and Albert Museum, London, which won Thakur a commission to curate an exhibit on Contemporary India for them. This was followed by furniture comprising the Pillar Pods and Damroo series at the Maison & Objet trade fairs in Paris.

I think the Indian way of life has a lot to offer the world. I love reinventing our tradition in a modern and luxurious vocabulary, she says. A brand that makes intelligent and emotive products, Design Temple explores mythology, history and culture through its creations. With the Animania series of products on 12 of India’s endangered species done in retail partnership with Good Earth, Thakur brought into focus the concept of animal conservation and much later, the Neel Chakra, designed as part of the Elephant Parade India in 2018, saw a blue elephant with a trunk-to-tail ornament inspired by the Indian concept of seven energy chakras.

What inspires you?We use India subliminally where we take Indian concepts and the way of living as inspiration. There is no pop art, kitsch or clichés of any kind. We create a contemporary language for our products such that they reveal themselves to you slowly. These are designs that you want to live with and pass on as heirlooms and not just trendy products that you will tire out of easily. For instance, we have vases on Varanasi that are inspired by Shahid Datawala’s beautiful abstracts on the ancient city. We have a series based on Mohenjodaro, where we have used the cheerharan as an inspiration and we are bringing into our furniture the Indian concept of multi-functionality. The Dumroo stools can be used anywhere or the pillar pods can double up as champagne buckets.

Pick a favourite?A favourite from the furniture line is the traditional munshi table, which was a floor table that was used by accounts of yore, and has now been given an interesting adaption as a laptop table for contemporary use.PRICE Rs 3,000 to Rs 25,000By Aditi Pai

There is no India modern it is just a modern way of looking at things

It was a year ago that Akanksha Himatsingka began conceptualising Himeya, an ode to the Himalayas. She joined the family owned business, The Himatsingka Group, in 2010, first handling their premium drapery and upholstery brand Atmosphere. We wanted an offering specifically for India. Bed and bath linen that uses our ingredient cotton brands became an obvious choice, she says. A tribute to the rolling hills of Kumaon, Himeya is a story of rest, sleep and a return to purity and reality. Not only does the line invoke this feeling, the story with a soundtrack of its own embraces the practical. Most home brands shoot their campaigns on hotel beds with crinkle-free sheets. Who lives like that? So, when we were shooting in Kumaon and the team called me There is no India modern it is just a modern way of looking at things to say there was no electricity to iron the sheets I said don’t, says Himatsingka.

Tell us about the new collectionThe first collection Eka is a collaboration with designer Rima Singh and the next, Moon Tide will see them collaborating with apparel brand Runaway Bicycle. I like the idea of a collaboration and our soon to open Mumbai store will embody that as well, explains Himatsingka. Himeya has on offer towels, pillowcases, bed sheets, quilts, cushions and more in two weaves Percale and Sateen, in a combination of solids and prints. Pricing with this range was critical. We wanted to be democratic and yet offer quality, she says. Besides using eco-friendly track and trace’ cotton, Himeya pays attention to detailing like clean centre closures in pillow cases and ample sizes.

Bedroom Secrets: Bed linen, pillows and fabrics from the new Himeya range

What is India Modern?There is no India modern, it is just a modern way of looking at things. Everything is global now, but we are able to use our crafts in more practical ways and redefine them in a contemporary manner. Moreover, I think a collaborative approach is what defines India Modern’. It’s like reviving an ancient craft like kantha to create a modern, contemporary jacket.

PRICE Rs 499 to Rs 8,499

By Prachi Sibal

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